Tru-Cape uses digital storytelling to make fruit more engaging for a new generation

From interactive games and children’s entertainment to apple and pear master classes, Tru-Cape is using digital platforms to build stronger connections with consumers.

Apples and pears may be among the most familiar fruits on supermarket shelves, but for many consumers – particularly younger generations – the stories behind the fruit, the varieties available, and the people who grow them are largely unknown.

Tru-Cape, South Africa’s largest marketer of apples and pears, is addressing this gap through an increasingly diverse digital marketing strategy that combines entertainment, education, and interactive experiences to make its products and the agricultural industry more accessible to consumers.

One of the most ambitious initiatives is Agent Apple, an interactive children’s game show in which children aged eight to 12 become “Junior Agents” and take charge of their parents.

Across eight episodes, 16 parent-and-child teams compete in high-energy challenges inspired by orchards, fruit, and teamwork, with the young agents giving the instructions while their parents follow orders.

Filmed in the orchards around Grabouw, the YouTube series (www.youtube.com/@Tru-cape) introduces families to the journey of Tru-Cape’s apples and pears while promoting healthy living, teamwork, and family experiences.

The campaign has already reached millions of people, showcasing the potential of digital entertainment to expand an agricultural brand’s reach far beyond its traditional audience.

But Agent Apple (and his cool sidekick Agent Pear) is only one part of Tru-Cape’s digital strategy.

Making apples and pears more than just fruit

Following on the success of Tru-Cape’s Master Class series on apples, Master Class Season 2 is currently running on YouTube (www.youtube.com/@Tru-cape) as a video series focused on the diversity of pear varieties.

Each episode explores a different pear or pear-related story, highlighting characteristics, flavour profiles and other features that distinguish varieties from one another.

The aim is to help consumers better understand the differences between pears while positioning Tru-Cape as a source of knowledge and expertise in the fresh-produce industry.

“Consumers are increasingly interested in knowing more about the products they buy, but information needs to be presented in ways that are accessible and engaging,” says Conrad Fick, Marketing Director at Tru-Cape.

“Digital platforms allow us to take quite technical information about varieties, flavour, and production and turn it into content that people can actually enjoy.”

Turning fruit farming into a game

Tru-Cape’s awarded Fruit-Full digital game (https://playfruit-full.com/) takes the strategy one step further by inviting consumers to actively participate in the business of growing and selling apples and pears – virtually.

The game, named as the Best Gaming Solution at the  MTN Business App of the Year Awards in 2023, puts players in charge of their own Tru-Cape apple and pear farm, where they learn about farming, resource management, logistics, packing, and selling. Along the way, they interact with characters such as James the Farmer, Granny Gogs, and Ruben the Shopkeeper.

The game effectively turns the production process into a virtual tour of the Tru-Cape orchards and packhouses, all while learning about fruit production and the business of fruit sales.

Thousands of gamers – from South Africa, but also places such as the United States, Uzbekistan and Indonesia – have played Fruit-Full over the years.

The educational component is deliberate. Rather than simply showing consumers the finished product, the game gives them a deeper understanding of fruit-growing processes, different varieties, and the resilience of fruit growers operating amid challenging environmental and economic conditions.

Building a distinctive digital identity

For an agricultural brand, this approach represents a significant shift from traditional marketing.

Fresh produce is ultimately a highly competitive category, where consumers can easily regard one apple or pear as interchangeable with another. Digital storytelling gives Tru-Cape an opportunity to create differentiation around the product itself – through characters, stories, knowledge, and experiences.

“Digital marketing is important to us because it allows us to build a relationship with consumers beyond the point of purchase,” says Fick. “We can educate them, entertain them, and give them a reason to engage with Tru-Cape as a brand.”

This creates the potential for a digital ecosystem in which characters, games, video content, and educational material can reinforce one another while keeping fruit at the centre of the conversation.

Ultimately, Tru-Cape’s digital strategy is about more than accumulating views, impressions, or clicks.

Agent Apple takes children into the orchard through entertainment. The Master Class series gives consumers a better understanding of what makes different pear varieties unique. Fruit-Full turns consumers into participants.

Together, these initiatives allow Tru-Cape to tell different parts of the same story: where fruit comes from, what makes varieties different, and why apples and pears should be part of a healthy and enjoyable lifestyle.

For more information, please contact Lucille Botha at lucilleb@tru-cape.co.za or visit www.tru-cape.com. Follow Tru-Cape on X (@TruCapeFruit), Facebook (@Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing), TikTok (@trucape), and Instagram (@trucapefruit).

ENDS